Consumer Behavior

News about Consumer Behavior, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.

Chronology of Coverage

Jul. 6, 2015

Number of companies are introducing simple 'buy' buttons in order to capitalize on amount of time consumers spend browsing Internet on mobile phones; despite growing use of mobile, consumers are far more inclined to use desktop computers to make online purchases; buy buttons will allow companies like Facebook, Google and Twitter to reap more benefits from mobile ad operations. MORE

Jun. 27, 2015

University of Michigan survey finds consumer sentiment index rose in June to 96.1, its highest level since January, suggesting spending might increase this year; Commerce Dept also reports consumer spending grew at annual pace of 2.1 percent in first three months of 2015. MORE

May. 21, 2015

The Upshot: study undertaken by research group at JPMorgan Chase finds that some 41 percent of households experienced at least a 30 percent variation in monthly income between 2012 and 2014, and that 60 percent experienced a 30 percent variation in consumption; data indicates that Americans are not aware of monthly variation, and remain unprepared for low-income months. MORE

May. 3, 2015

Apr. 12, 2015

Matt Richtel Applied Science column examines Stanford study finding that use of divine imagery and language by advertisers can prompt consumers to take risks that they otherwise would not; observes that finding adds counterintuitive twist to existing research about God and risk-taking. MORE

Apr. 12, 2015

Anna Bernasek Datapoints column observes consumer discretionary stocks have been buoyed by decline in oil prices, as consumers have more money to spend after saving at pump; observes stocks could nonetheless fall out of favor as consumers decline to spend their windfall. MORE

Apr. 12, 2015

Op-Ed article by Prof Steven Quartz and political scientist Anette Asp explores why record inequality in American society has not resulted in expected uptick in unhappiness due to envy; suggests that culture of consumerism has made relationship between income and status more complex; warns that uncoupling of happiness and income equality has negative consequences for political and economic systems. MORE

Apr. 10, 2015

Russian consumers are pulling back on spending more sharply than anticipated, leaving big new shopping centers like Avia Park in Moscow only partially occupied; reduced mall crowds are prominent indication Western sanctions over Russia's role in Ukraine conflict and plummeting oil prices are hurting economy. MORE

Apr. 8, 2015

Federal Reserve reports that consumer borrowing expanded by $15.5 billion in February, to record high of $3.34 trillion. MORE

Mar. 3, 2015

Economists are stumped as to what consumers are doing with saved money from lower energy prices since summer 2014; retail sales have been mixed, but consumer savings rate rose to 5.5 percent in January, highest level in two years; American drivers saved estimated $76 billion in 2014; answer to where savings went awaits on more data. MORE

Feb. 7, 2015

Federal Reserve reports increased consumer borrowing in December 2014, expansion of $14.8 billion, which pushes consumer debt to record $3.31 trillion; expansion may indicate that consumer spending will increase as shoppers gain confidence from strong jobs data to increase their debt. MORE

Jan. 8, 2015

The Upshot; Rhode Island is requiring residents to shop for health insurance in its marketplace in 2015, diverging from federal government's plan to automatically re-enroll customers; nationally, 35 to 40 percent of 2014 health care consumers came back to HealthCare.gov to shop, while in Rhode Island figure was 78 percent. MORE

Dec. 14, 2014

Op-Ed article by Prof Elizabeth Currid-Halkett examines Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey to track differences among cities in household spending; notes that comparisons reveal much about so-called conspicuous consumption, and how a city's distinctive consumption habits reflect its culture and priorities. MORE

Dec. 12, 2014

The Upshot; November 2014 retail sales rose 0.7 percent as holiday shopping season starts, surpassing analysts' expectations of only 0.4 percent; uptick in sales is indication economy is beginning to energize. MORE

Nov. 30, 2014

Initial readings by consumer analytics firm ShopperTrak show that combined sales on Thanksgiving and Black Friday fell 0.5 percent from same period in 2013; report revises concerns among retailers that consumers are still nervous about spending. MORE

Nov. 27, 2014

Commerce Dept reports that consumer spending rose by a lukewarm 0.2 percent in October 2014, slight increase from flat rate in September; also reports decline in business orders for industrial machinery, computers and other equipment; figures come as disappointment one day after robust job growth report. MORE

Oct. 14, 2014

Retailers are expected to add some 800,000 temporary workers to their holiday ranks as they prepare for resurgent interest in Black Friday bargains; forecasters have nonetheless warned that retailers will struggle to persuade households to spend freely, citing stagnant wage growth and rising cost of child and health care; PricewaterhouseCoopers projects that average holiday spending will fall to $684, from $735 in 2013. MORE

Sep. 30, 2014

Commerce Department reports that consumer spending rose 0.5 percent in August from July; personal income rose 0.3 percent. MORE

Sep. 14, 2014

The Upshot; some airlines are making changes to their frequent flier programs to prevent what is known as mileage running to garner rewards; they have imposed a minimum spending requirement to obtain elite status and in 2015 fliers will earn five 'miles' for every dollar they spend on airfare, regardless of where they go. MORE

Sep. 11, 2014

Cereal business has been declining for last decade as consumers' eating habits have changed, with drop-off accelerating lately; investment analysts say current slump is also due to variety of trends that make it hard for cereal makers to address drop-off in demand, leading them to experiment with different branding and products. MORE

Aug. 30, 2014

The Upshot; web start-ups that either rent items themselves or serve as middlemen are creating new way of consuming, growing a corner of broader sharing economy; tech entrepreneurs and investors say consumers will soon be able to rent much of what they always thought they must own. MORE

Aug. 22, 2014

Marketers are adapting their strategies as they recognize millennials as the consumers who will drive economy in decades ahead; shift comes as young adults in their 20s are moving to surpass baby boomers as largest age group; millennial consumer behavior is difficult to predict, as group tends to put off major life decisions and the purchases that go with them. MORE

Aug. 14, 2014

E-commerce companies, as well as some brick-and-mortar retailers, are increasingly combining data with consumer behavior to create more personalized shopping experience; sites learn behaviors and then compare information with thousands of profiles to predict buying patterns to enhance offerings and increase profits. MORE

May. 4, 2014

Teddy Wayne Future Tense column reflects that media entertainment allows consumers to watch, listen and read anything anytime; observes that some people, like Barry Schwartz in his book The Paradox of Choice, argue that this surfeit of consumer choices engenders anxiety, not satisfaction. MORE

May. 2, 2014

Commerce Department reports that consumption spending rose by 0.9 percent in March, as income rose by 0.5 percent; better-than-expected numbers dampen effects of dismal first-quarter growth report, and indicate that economy may finally be shaking off the effects of a deep freeze. MORE

Apr. 28, 2014

Few consumers are taking to premise of mobile wallets, even as host of American startups try to cash in; numerous solutions are on market, but shoppers are either unaware of option, or unimpressed by it. MORE

Apr. 12, 2014

Bigger movie chains are adding large-format screens to theaters in effort to find new ways to grow in United States and Canada, where business has been softening for past decade; large-format theaters, whether Imax or other brands, have been rising in popularity even as broader moviegoing public sours on 3-D. MORE

Apr. 1, 2014

Japan's first sales tax jump since 1997, in which rate will go up to 8 percent from 5 percent starting in April, has country's businesses, politicians and consumers worried; after rush to stock up, economists are concerned that consumers will cut back on shopping and spending in April--and maybe for longer; any pullback would be big risk to country's already shaky recovery. MORE

Mar. 28, 2014

Commerce Department reports that the American economy grew by 2.6 percent in the final months of 2013, slight uptick from previous estimate of 2.4 percent, but still well below pace of growth in third quarter; data is brightened by 3.3 percent rise in consumer spending. MORE

Mar. 11, 2014

Many Japanese, after years of falling prices, have mind-set that they need to save, not spend, undermining Prime Min Shinzo Abe's economic recovery plan to lead country out of deflation; overall prices in Japan have not risen since late 1990s; slow progress in beating deflation reflects difficulties of overcoming entrenched expectations and behaviors. MORE

Mar. 4, 2014

Institute for Supply Management says its index of national factory activity rose to 53.2 in February after slumping in January to 51.3; Commerce Dept says consumer spending increased 0.4 percent in January after 0.1 percent gain in December. MORE

Feb. 8, 2014

Federal Reserve reports that consumers increased their borrowing in December 2013 by largest amount in 10 months, as demand for auto, student and credit card loans show big gains. MORE

Feb. 5, 2014

Many banks, noting that fewer customers use them for routine transactions, are opening smaller branches with more high-tech tools, getting rid of back-office space, and even vaults, and bringing employees out from behind the counters so that they can circulate with tablets. MORE

Feb. 3, 2014

Evidence that economic inequality is deepening across America can be shown by fact that customer base for businesses that appeal to middle class is shrinking as top-tier pulls even further away; effects of this phenomenon, which has caused many mid-tier retailers or restaurant chains to lose profits and, in some cases, declare bankruptcy, are now rippling through one sector after another in the American economy. MORE

Feb. 3, 2014

American shoppers are making effort to use cash in lieu of cards at stores following disclosures about credit and debit card breaches at several major retailers; trend is leaving consumers struggling to adjust after years of becoming accustomed to convenience of using plastic for most purchases. MORE

Feb. 1, 2014

Commerce Department reports that Americans increased their spending at solid pace for second straight month, even though incomes were flat; consumer spending rose 0.4 percent in Dec 2013, but incomes showed no gain, indicating that employment growth is slowing. MORE

Jan. 5, 2014

Matt Richtel Applied Science column; research published in journal Psychological Science shows deeply rooted instinct in people to earn more than can possibly be consumed, even when this imbalance makes them unhappy; research says all work and no play may just be a result of 'mindless accumulation.' MORE

Dec. 25, 2013

Several new e-book subscription services are analyzing the data of its readers and providing their findings for free; start-ups, unlike larger companies like Amazon and Barnes & Noble that keep information about their e-readers proprietary, are planning to share this data so writers can use it to give readers more of what they want. MORE

Dec. 16, 2013

Consumers, emboldened by weak retail season, are taking advantage of price-matching policies and price-tracking tools on smartphones to haggle at major retailers; practice, common at big-box stores like Best Buy and Home Depot, has become acceptable even at high-end retailers like Nordstrom. MORE

Dec. 13, 2013

Commerce Department reports that retail sales increased by 0.7 percent in November as Americans stepped up spending in wide range of goods; figure adds to signs of strengthening economy that could prompt Federal Reserve to slow pace of stimulus. MORE

Dec. 8, 2013

Matt Richtel Applied Science column; Stanford Graduate School of Business research suggests a wealth of online product information and user reviews is making it harder to influence consumers with traditional marketing methods; how consumers make decisions is undergoing fundamental shift as they rely more on one another. MORE

Nov. 29, 2013

Online and brick-and-mortar retailers are tailoring deals to attract self-gifters, consumers who cannot resist buying items for themselves during holiday shopping; self-gifters have grown both in numbers and dollars spent, but some retailers worry that they may feel less indulgent in the current holiday season. MORE

Oct. 8, 2013

Wave of experiments at various companies could take consumer convenience, and impulsiveness, to new heights; new shopping services will allow consumers to instantly buy items they see on television, in magazines and even in their refrigerators; push for immediate retail gratification is occurring as delivery wars are escalating among some of the biggest of e-commerce companies. MORE

Sep. 10, 2013

Federal Reserve reports that consumers increased their borrowing in July by $10.4 billion from June to record $2.85 trillion; measure of credit card debt falls by $1.8 billion to $850 billion; auto and student loan category rises 8.1 percent from year ago. MORE

Aug. 31, 2013

Aug. 16, 2013

Latest sales reports paint bleak picture for sizable swath of retail sector, with several major chains that cater to budget-conscious customers citing sluggish sales, even as other economic indicators show signs of consumer confidence. MORE

Aug. 14, 2013

Commerce Department reports that retail sales increased 0.2 percent in July from June, indicating that consumer spending could increase economic growth in coming months. MORE

Puerto Rico’s meeting will be streamed online on Monday; later in the week, Ms. Yellen will testify before the House Financial Services Committee and all eyes will be on Google’s chief financial officer.

To help General Motors adapt to young car buyers, researchers at MTV Scratch talked to thousands of people from the so-called “millennial” generation about their impressions of cars, technology and what makes them different from their parents’ generation. Watch a few of the research interviews that informed Scratch’s five-year strategic plan for Chevrolet.